


Pack and Prejudice

by buffaloaf



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Danny is going to be Wickham, F/M, M/M, My familiarity with the story now is much better, Scott is Mr. Bingley, There is a bit of Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski since Peter is Mr. Collins, This is a rewrite of the original Pack and Prejudice
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-12
Updated: 2013-05-12
Packaged: 2017-12-11 14:39:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/799838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buffaloaf/pseuds/buffaloaf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." </p><p>So begins "Pack and Prejudice", Livvy Johnson's witty comedy of manners, based on one of the most popular novels of all time, that features splendidly "civilized" sparring between the proud Mr. Derek Hale and the prejudiced Stiles Stilinski.  When a rich man (Scott) comes to town looking for a wife, he brings along his even richer brother (Derek), as well as the rest of their pack of werewolves. Stiles is proud of the fact he is able to make his own decisions, but what will happen when someone comes to town to change that? Stiles must turn away from his family to follow his own heart. How will this adaptation of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" play out? </p><p>It isn't necessary to have knowledge of the book beforehand, but I recommend it to anyone!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. Whether or not the man knows this, the idea is so set in the minds of the surrounds families, that he is considered the rightful property of one of their daughters.

“Sweetheart,” Sheriff John Stilinski's wife, Melissa, said to him one day, “have you heard that Beacon Hills Park has finally been bought?”

The sheriff replied that he hadn't.

“But it has,” she returned; “Mrs. Martin has just been there, and she told me all about it.”

Sheriff Stilinski did not respond.

“Don't you want to know who has taken it?” cried his wife impatiently.

“ _You_ want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.”

It seemed this was invitation enough.

“Well, you have to know, Mrs. Martin says that Beacon Hills was rented out by a young man of large fortune from the north of England; that he came down on Monday to see the place, and loved it so much, that he agreed with Mr. Finstock immediately; that he is to move in before Full Wolf Moon, and some of his servants will be moved in by the end of next week.”

“What is his name?”

“Mr. Scott Hale.”

“Is he married or single?”

“Oh! Single! A single man of large fortune; four or five million a year. How great for our girls!”

“Why, exactly, is it so great for them?”

“My dear,” replied his wife jokingly, “how can you be so stupid! You must know that I expect him to marry one of them.”

“Is that why he moved here?”

“Perhaps that is not the precise reason, but it's extremely possible that he _might_ fall in love with one of them, and so you have to visit him when he comes.”

“I was planning on it anyway, considering my position as sheriff, but you and the girls should go another time. Or perhaps you should let them go by themselves, which might be better, considering you are as beautiful as any of them. Mr. Hale might like you better.”

“Darling, you're flattering me. I've _had_ my fair share of beauty, but I don't pretend to be extraordinary now. When a woman has three daughters and two sons, she ought to stop thinking of her own beauty.”

She paused and then continued;

“But, when you do go and meet Mr. Hale, consider your daughters. Think of what an accomplishment it would be for one of our girls. Mr. Whittemore and Mrs. Lahey are going to meet him particularly for that reason.”

“I will assure him that he has permission to marry whichever girl he wants; Lydia, Allison, or Erica. Although, I have to throw in a good word for Stiles.”

“I forbid you to do so! Stiles isn't any better than the girls, and I am sure he is not as handsome as Jackson, nor half as intelligent as Lydia, yet you always prefer _him_.”

“None of them are like Stiles,” he replied; “they are immature and dense like all the other girls; but Stiles has more of a sense of humor than the others,” responded the sheriff.

“Seriously, John, how can you speak of your own children this way? You love to anger me, don't you? You have no idea how much I suffer.”

“I hope that you get over it, and live to see many young men and women that make four million come into the neighborhood.”

Mr. Stilinski was such a bizarre mixture of quick wit, sarcastic humor, shyness, and impulse, that in 50 years his own wife couldn't figure him out. _Her_ mind was less difficult to understand. Her only job in life was to get her kids married; its only peace was talking with friends and gossip.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone's interested, I have a full cast list on my blog- http://buffaloaf.tumblr.com/post/50227110397/full-character-list-for-pack-and-prejudice
> 
> (my url is buffaloaf btw)


	2. Chapter 2

Sheriff Stilinski was the first of many to meet Scott Hale. He had always planned on going, but reasoned it was decidedly better not to tell his wife precisely _when_ he was going; and not tell her of his trip until the evening after the visit.

While watching Stiles shine the buttons on his uniform, Sheriff Stilinski, pondering the subtlety of his threat to Scott Hale that he indeed had a gun and was willing to use it, suddenly addressed him with:

“I hope Mr. Hale isn't afraid of me.”

“Well, we won't _know_ if Mr. Hale is afraid of anything,” said Melissa resentfully, “because you have refused to let us meet him.”

“Don't forget, Mom,” said Stiles, “that we're going to meet him at the party, and Mrs. Martin said she would introduce him to us.”

“I don't think Mrs. Martin will introduce us at all. She has two nieces of her own. She's a selfish, hypocritical woman, and I don't like her.”

“I don't like her either,” supplied Sheriff Stilinski; “and I'm glad you aren't depending on her to introduce you.”

Melissa decided not to reply, but, unable to stop herself, began scolding one of her daughters.

“Stop coughing, Erica, for Heaven's sake!”

“Erica has no discretion in her coughs,” said her father.“She times them poorly.”

“It's not as if I cough for my own amusement,” replied Erica sharply. “When's the next party, Stiles?”

“Next Thursday.”

“My God, it is!” cried Mrs. Stilinski. “Mrs. Martin will not return from town until the day after, so it will be impossible for her to introduce him to her nieces!”

“Then, my dear, you may have the advantage to introduce Mr. Hale to _Stiles,_ ” joked Sheriff Stilinski.

“I cannot believe you. How can you joke like that?”

“Well, if you don't want to introduce them, I will.”

The children all stared at their father. Melissa only shook her head and said, “Nonsense.”

“What does that even mean?” he exclaimed, suddenly getting angry. “You consider the importance of meeting someone special, and the effects it can have on a person, as nonsense? Does Stiles not deserve these things as much as his siblings? I can't agree with you there, Melissa. What do you think, Allison? As a young lady with a liberal mind, what do you say?”

Allison wanted to say something sensible, but didn't quite know how.

“While Allison is adjusting her perspective,” he continued, “let's go back to Mr. Hale.”

“I am sick of Mr. Hale!” cried his wife.

“I am sorry to hear that. Why did you not tell me this before? If I had known this information earlier this morning I certainly wouldn't have called on him. It really is quite unfortunate, but since I have already paid the visit, we can't escape the acquaintance now.”

The shocked faces of his family was exactly what he had hoped for; the reaction of Melissa was even better than he had expected. Though, once the initial surprise had worn off and Melissa stopped looking bewildered, she seemed happy, not upset, which was _not_ what Sheriff Stilinski had expected. She even managed to completely look past the entire conversation she had just had with her husband in favor of her girls.

“How good that was of you, darling. I was sure you loved your girls too much to neglect such an acquaintance. Well, how pleased I am! And it is such a good joke, that you went this morning and didn't mention it until now!”

“Now, Erica, you can cough as much as you want,” said the sheriff, and as he spoke, he left the room, fatigued with the insanity of his wife.

“What an excellent father you have, girls!” said Melissa, after her husband had left and shut the door behind him.”I don't know how you can ever pay him back for his kindness; or me, either, for that matter! At this point in my life, it's nearly pointless to make new acquaintances; but for your sakes, we would do anything. Lydia, my love, since you are the youngest, I don't think Mr. Hale will dance with you at the ball.

“Oh really!” challenged Lydia. “I am not afraid. I might be the youngest, but I am certainly the prettiest.”

At this point, Stiles decided to slip out of the room. He didn't want to hear his family making plans about asking Mr. Hale to dinner, mostly because it wouldn't matter one way or another. Stiles knew he could never have what his sisters had. Even if his family knew, his mother would forbid it. He knew his father suspected he had feeling for other men that would be, as his mother described “unnatural”, but the sheriff seemed determined to never acknowledge his suspicions, and most certainly not discuss it with his family.


	3. Chapter 3

Even with help from her daughters, Mrs. Stilinski couldn't seem to get a satisfactory description of Mr. Hale. They all ambushed their father, begging for derails on the mysterious Scott Hale, but Sheriff Stilinski managed to deflect all of them, leaving the family no other option but to accept the intelligence of their neighbor. His report was highly favorable. Everyone had been delighted with him. He was young, wonderfully handsome, extremely delightful, and to make things better, he agreed with excitement to attend the next ball with a large group of friends. It couldn't have been better news. To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love; and the importance of Mr. Hale dancing with one of their daughters was frequently discussed among the ladies of the house.

“If I could have one of my daughters happily married to Mr. Hale,” said Mrs. Stilinski, “and all of the others equally well married, I won't have anything else to wish for.”

In a few days, Mr. Hale returned Sheriff Stilinski's visit, and talked with him for roughly ten minutes in the library. Mr. Hale had hoped to see one of Mr. Stilinski's daughters, of whose beauty he had heard much, but ended up meeting only with the father. Sheriff Stilinski's children were a bit more fortunate, for they had the advantage of spying from an upper window. They ascertained that he wore a red coat, rode a black horse, and had floppy, brown hair that Allison had described as “adorable”.

An invitation to dinner was sent to Mr. Hale soon after he left; and already, Mrs. Stilinski had started planning, when a courier arrived with an answer which called the whole thing off. Mr. Hale was obliged to be in town the next day, and was unable to attend. Mrs. Stilinski was quite upset. She couldn't imagine what kind of business he could have in town right after his arrival, and she began to fear that he might be the type to move constantly from one place to another, and would never settle at Beacon Hills like she hoped he would. Their neighbor (and secret informant) stifled these fears a bit by telling Mrs. Stilinski that he had only gone to London to gather a large group of friends to take to the party. A report soon followed that Mr. Hale was to bring twelve women and seven men with him to the affair. The girls grieved over such a number of ladies, but were comforted the day before the ball by hearing he brought only five with him from London, and when they all entered the ballroom, it was made known that all members of his “pack”, as everyone had jokingly calling them, were relatives, four ladies and one gentleman.

Mr. Hale was good-looking and gentlemanly, he wore a contented facial expression, and had wonderful manners. His female relatives were fine women, with a fashionable way about them. But, it was his brother, Derek, who was the one that quickly drew the attention of the room. He was well-muscled and tall with gorgeous, sharp features, a regal demeanor, and a salary of ten million a year. The gentlemen in the room begrudgingly commented that he was a fine figure of a man, while the ladies declared that he was much handsomer than his brother, Scott, and he was looked at with great admiration until about halfway through the night, upon the discovery of his manners. He was discovered to be proud, acting as if he was above the rest of his company, and was certainly too arrogant to be pleased; and not all of his large estate in New York could save him from his most uninterested countenance, and being unworthy to be compared to his brother.

Scott Hale had soon made himself acquainted with all the important people in the room; he was lively and outgoing, danced every dance, and was upset that the party had ended so early, immediately deciding he must host one himself at Beacon Hills. What a contrast between him and his brother! Derek danced only one dance with his sister Laura, and once with the other, Natalie. He declined to be introduced to any other lady, and spent the entire evening sulking about the room, speaking occasionally to one of his relatives. His character was decided. He was the proudest, most prideful man in all the world, and everyone except Stiles hoped that he would never come there again. Stiles simply thought he was interesting. Someone like that had to have reasoning behind their cold exterior, and Stiles, being Stiles, wanted to find out. However, his mother was most violently opinionated against Derek Hale, whose dislike of his general behavior turned into resentment after she found out that he had not even looked any of her daughters.

Stiles, however, because of the scarcity of women (it's not like his mother would approve of dancing with any men), had been forced to sit down for two dances; and during that time, Derek Hale had been standing close enough for Stiles to eavesdrop on the conversation between him and his brother, who had taken a break from dancing to persuade Derek into join in.

“Come on, Derek,” he said, “You have to dance. I hate to see you standing by yourself. Just because there aren't any men throwing themselves at you for a dance, doesn't mean none of them want to.”

“I certainly will not. You know how I despise dancing, unless I am particularly acquainted with my partner, regardless of gender. In this part of the country, I won't be able to be seen dancing with another man. Furthermore, there is not a man in this room whom it would not be a punishment for me to dance with.”

“Don't be so fussy, Derek,” whined Scott. “I have never met with so many pleasant women in my life as I have this evening; and there are several of them that are uncommonly pretty.”

“Idon't _want_ to dance with any women. Plus, the only handsome man in the room is already occupied with another girl,” said Derek, speaking of Jackson, who was dancing with his sister, Erica.

“Oh, him. He is handsome enough, but there is a brother of his sitting down right behind you who is quite adorable. Let me ask his sister and my dance partner, Allison, to introduce you.”

Stiles couldn't believe his ears. So, this Derek Hale seemed to be interested in men, but he was interested in Jackson. Of course.

“Which one do you mean?” asked Derek, looking around for a moment until glancing at Stiles. He peered into Stiles' wide brown eyes for a moment before withdrawing his gaze and coldly snapping, “He is tolerable, but not nearly handsome enough to tempt _me_ ; I am in no mood to converse with men who have been disregarded by everyone else at the party. You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles, because you are wasting your time with me.”

Scott followed his advice. Derek walked off, and Stiles was left with extremely unfriendly feelings toward him.

As the night progressed, nobody else wanted to dance with him. He was hard-pressed to get a dance in with one of his sisters, seeing as they were so popular among the men, and, to be quite honest, Stiles was more than a bit jealous. Minutes passed so slowly they felt like hours, and Stiles started to feel suffocated by all the people, and he decided that he needed to get some air. He headed toward the back of the ballroom and slipped outside without being noticed.

Stiles was so engrossed in looking at the stars that he didn't hear the door open and close behind him. “Nice night,”commented a voice behind Stiles, making him spin around so fast, he lost his footing and toppled over. “Ow, fuck!” he cursed, and he looked up to apologize, his embarrassment showing in the patches of color creeping up his neck. Staring back at him was none other than Scott Hale. He had his hand outstretched, ready to help Stiles up. All Stiles could do was gape.

Scott cleared his throat, and Stiles pulled himself together and accepted his hand. Once Stiles was on his feet again, Scott spoke.

“I apologize. I didn't mean to scare you.”

Stiles just looked at him, before finally saying, “It's fine, I'm pretty clumsy; it's not your fault.” Scott chuckled and said, “I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Scott Hale.”

“Nice to meet you. Stiles Stilinski.” he replied, his voice the tiniest bit shaky.

“Nice to meet you, too, Stiles, honestly, but I really have to get back inside.” Scott started to walk away, but turned back to say, “You know, Stiles, I would have forced my brother to dance with you, but I don't think anyone in this neighborhood would have approved.”

Once again, Stiles was completely speechless, and it's not like that was something that happened often. But, by the time his brain could properly form words, Scott had vanished. Stiles decidedly liked him, and wanted to speak with him again. He had a feeling that he and Scott could become great friends.

Altogether, the evening passed pleasantly for the whole family. Mrs. Stilinski had seen her daughter much admired by the Beacon Hills pack. Mr. Scott Hale had danced with Allison twice, and she had been admired by all of his relatives, except Derek, of course, who couldn't have cared less about her. Allison was just as excited as her mother was, but remained ladylike and didn't show it until after she got home. And Stiles was happy for her, because he loved his sister. He was happy for all of them, really; Lydia had been described to Miss Laura Hale as the most accomplished girl in the neighborhood, and Erica and Jackson were fortunate enough to never be without dance partners, which was all they really cared about. The family returned to their home in good spirits, only to find Sheriff Stilinski still awake. Whenever he was looking at case files, he always lost track of time, and had was curious anyways as to what happened that evening. He had sort of hoped his wife's views on the stranger would be disappointed; but he soon found out that he had a very different story to hear.

“Oh, sweetheart,” she said as she entered the room, “we have had the most delightful evening, it was the greatest party. I wish you had been there. Allison was so admired, it was unbelievable. Everyone said how well she looked; and Mr. Hale thought her so beautiful, he actually danced with her _twice_! And she was the only one in the room that he asked a second time, First of all, he asked Miss Morell. I was so irritated to see him stand up with her! But he couldn't stand her at all, of course, nobody can, you know, and he seemed really interested in Allison when he saw her dancing with Jackson. So he asked who she was, got introduced, and asked her to dance. Then he danced with Erica, then Lydia, and then danced with Allison again, and he danced with that lovely girl from across the way, what was her name again? I think it was-”

“Melissa, I really don't want to know about everyone he danced with. I couldn't be bothered to care if he broke his ankle on the first dance. Is there anything else about him?”

“Oh, darling, I am quite delighted with him. He is so excessively handsome! And his relatives are charming women. I've never seen more gorgeous dresses than the ones they were wearing. The lace on Miss Hale's gown-”

She was interrupted again by Sheriff Stilinski. He protested that he didn't want any descriptions of any of the dresses anyone was wearing, so she proceeded with the next topic; the shocking rudeness of Mr. Derek Hale.

“I can assure you,” she said, “that Stiles isn't missing anything by becoming _his_ friend, because he is a rude, horrible man, not worth any friends at all. He was so conceited you couldn’t even talk to him! He walked around the place, pretending like he was above all of us. Apparently he was too handsome for everyone else to dance with. I wish you had been there, just to give him one of your talks. I quite detest the man.”


	4. Chapter 4

Later the next day, when Stiles and Allison were alone, Stiles asked her about the time she had spent with Mr. Hale. Allison, who hadn't previously spoken much about him at all, finally gushed to her brother about just how much she liked him.

“He's exactly what I'm looking for.” she said, “exciting, adorable, and attractive, and I've never met anyone so polite!”

Stiles kept quiet as Allison continued, “I was so flattered when he asked me to dance a second time. I honestly didn't expect it, especially since Mom told me before the ball no one would want to dance with me.”

“You really didn't expect it? I did. I mean, you were five times prettier than any girl in the room, easily. Why wouldn't he ask you to dance again? And, I definitely approved of this one; you've dated some dumb guys.”

“Stiles!” cried Lydia.

“What? It's true. You're a lot smarter than you let on, Allison.”

“Whatever, Stiles.” Allison huffed. A few moments passed before Stiles spoke again, tired of the silence. “So, how did you like Mr. Hale's sisters? I heard they were kind of snobby.” Lydia turned to face Stiles and said, “Well, they were at first. But once you got to know them, they really were pleasant. Laura Hale is going to be moving in with Scott, and I'm sure she'll be a great neighbor.”

Stiles listened in silence, but wasn't convinced; he had seen them at the party, and he had heard about their behavior. Since Stiles was a bit quicker to judge people, and he didn't really approve of them. They were too proud and conceited, although very pretty and well educated. Stiles had overheard that they had a fortune of over twenty million dollars, but had a habit of spending too much. They also only associated with people of their rank, and were entitled to think well of themselves and poorly of others.

They were a respectable family from New York, and had quite a large property. Scott Hale, as well as his brother Derek, had inherited worth over a twenty million dollars from their father, who had intended to buy an estate, but didn't live long enough to do so. Scott intended to do what his father could not, and had jumped at the chance to rent Beacon Hills Park.

There was a very steady friendship between Scott and Derek Hale, despite the large contrasts in character. Scott was intrigued by his brother's abilities and the way he controlled his temper, and Derek's opinion was always extremely important to him. In wit, Derek was the superior. Scott was by no means dull, but Derek was extremely clever. He was at the same time arrogant, cold, and hard to please; his manners uninviting. In that respect, his brother had a great advantage. Scott Hale was sure of being liked wherever he appeared; Derek was constantly insulting people.

Their opinions on the neighborhood were vastly different. Scott had never met with more pleasant people in his life; everyone had been extremely kind and fascinated with him. There wasn't a time when he hadn't felt at home, and he soon felt acquainted with everyone in the surrounding area. And pertaining to Allison Stilinski, he couldn't conceive an angel more beautiful. Derek, on the other hand, had seen a collection of people in whom there was little beauty and no fashion, and didn't receive attention from any of them, and in return, did not give them attention. He thought Allison was a pretty girl, but she smiled too much.

The rest of Scott Hale's family admired and liked her, and decided she was a sweet girl that they wanted to get to know more. Allison was therefore established as a suitable partner, and they all gave Scott their permission to think of Allison as more than a friend, if he chose.

 


	5. Chapter 5

 

 Within walking distance of the Stilinski household lived a family that the Stilinskis considered great friends. Mr. Lahey lived with his son, Isaac, and his four daughters after his wife had died. Isaac was a sensible young man, and was close friends with Stiles. The McCalls and the Stilinskis had decided that they needed to meet to discuss the party immediately, especially since Mr. McCall loved to gossip.

“You began the evening well, Jennifer,” said Mrs. Stilinski, referring to one of the McCall daughters. “You _were_ Scott Hale's first choice.”

“Yes, but he seemed to like his second better,”said Jennifer, jealous.

“Oh! You mean Allison, I guess, because he danced with her twice. I mean, it definitely _seemed_ like he admired her- I'm pretty positive he _did_ \- I heard something about it.”

“Perhaps you mean what I overheard between Mr. Hale and my father, didn't I mention it to you? My father asked him how he liked the party, and if he thought there were any pretty women in the room, and if one of them was the prettiest. He answered the last question immediately: 'Oh! Miss Allison Stilinski, beyond a doubt.'”

“ _Really_? Well, that is very conclusive - that does seem as if - but, it might not mean anything.” sputtered Mrs. Stilinski, trying to be polite but failing miserably.

On the other side of the room, Isaac and Stiles were having another conversation entirely. “Derek Hale isn't worth listening to, Stiles. Seriously? He called you _tolerable_?”

“I don't even want to think about it. He's such a jerk, I don't _want_ to be liked by him. Allison told me she sat next to him for thirty minutes, and he didn't say one word to her. How can someone _do_ that?”

“Actually,” Allison piped up from next to Isaac, “I did ask him how he was liking the neighborhood. He didn't answer, and he just sort of scowled at me and looked annoyed at the fact that he was being talked to.”

“His sister Laura told me,” said Erica, appearing next to Stiles, “that he never talks much, unless he's talking to close friends or family members. With _them_ , he's friendly.”

“I don't buy it,”said Stiles. “If he was so _friendly_ , he would have at least talked to Allison. She's like, the nicest person ever.”

“It's not like I wanted to talk to him anyways,” Stiles remarked decidedly. “It's not just the fact that he was so high-and-mighty, because, come on, he has a reason to be. It was the fact that he felt the need to be so rude to everyone else.”

“If I was that rich,” started Jackson, who seemed to appear out of nowhere (he did that quite often, actually, particularly when nobody wanted to talk to him), “I'd probably act like that, too.”

“See Jackson,” stated Stiles, “the problem is, we aren't rich, yet you already act like that.”

Jackson glared, and Stiles, for a moment, thought he saw Jackson's bright blue eyes _glow_ before he turned away. Stiles did not dwell on this for much longer, instead attempting (and failing) to block out images of Derek Hale's stupid face, altogether forgetting that his brother Jackson's eyes were _green._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so idk if his eyes are actually green they looked kinda blue/green but im trying to make a point that his eyes were definitely not supposed to be that blue (ooooh spooky)


	6. Chapter 6

 Soon enough, Allison began to grow on the Hales. Even though they couldn't tolerate her mom, and her older sisters and brothers weren't worth talking to, some of the Hale family showed interest in being better acquainted with the Stilinskis. Between his time spent with Allison, Scott Hale began to spend time with Stiles, and the both of them were, as Stiles expected, becoming great friends. Allison secretly ate up the attention from the Hales, but Stiles still saw their ill-concealed arrogance and rude treatment of nearly everyone, occasionally even Allison herself; only being nice to her because of their brother's interest in her.

It was evident whenever they met that Scott Hale did, in fact, admire her, and Allison definitely liked him back. And if Stiles knew anything about his sister, she would be in love with him by the end of the month. Nobody else seemed to suspect it, though; Allison was really good at keeping her feelings hidden. Stiles mentioned this to Isaac.

“It's usually a disadvantage to be that guarded. If she pretends like she doesn't like him as much as she does, he might move on. If anything, a girl should pretend to be _more_ invested than she actually is. Mr. Hale likes your sister, but if she doesn't make a move, he might not ever do anything more than just like her.”

“Surprising, Isaac, that almost made sense. But if _I_ can see how much she likes him, shouldn't he be able to see it too? I mean, he'd have to be pretty stupid not to figure it out.”

“Not everyone's as smart as you, Stiles. Plus, you know Allison way better than he does, better than _everyone_ does.”

“But if a girl likes a guy, and she doesn't try to hide it, he has to know about it.”

“Maybe, if he sees enough of her. Look, Allison and Scott see each other all the time, but it's always at parties with a bunch of people, and it's not like they spend every minute together. Maybe if Allison makes herself the center of attention, he'll fall in love with her faster”

“See, Isaac, that's a pretty good plan, A+ for effort, really, but she's only met him a few times. She hardly knows the guy, how could they already be in love? Plus, you know that Allison would _never_ , under any circumstances, willingly make herself the center of attention.”

Stiles paused, then continued, “They've only known each other for four days. I don't think that's enough time for anyone to fall in love. Just give it time.”

“Well,” said Isaac, “I hope that Allison is happy, at least. We both know she's a pain in the ass when she isn't.”

\----------------------

Busy trying to work out what exactly was going on between his sister and Scott Hale, Stiles had no idea he was becoming an object of some interest in the eyes of Derek Hale. He didn't act even slightly interested at the party; and the next time they met, Derek had only gazed quickly at Stiles to judge him. But as soon as he made it clear to himself and his friends that he didn't think Stiles had a sexy bone in his body, his opinion was changed vastly when he looked into Stiles' eyes. They were amber brown and huge, and compelled Derek to continue staring.

Even though he had obviously detected with his perfect, suspiciously super-human eyesight that Stiles was not at all perfect, Derek was all but forced to acknowledge the fact that he was somewhat appealing; and even though his manners were terrible and he had to be the most uncoordinated human Derek Hale had ever laid eyes on, he was drawn in by Stiles' easy-going and funny disposition. Stiles, on the other hand, had absolutely no idea. To him, Mr. Hale was the most unreasonable human being he had ever had the misfortune of meeting.

Derek found himself wanting to know more about him, and as a step towards talking to Stiles himself, he eavesdropped on Stiles' conversations during a party Mr. Lahey was throwing. His doing so drew Stiles' attention.

“Why is my brother staring at you?” Derek hears Isaac ask from across the room.

“I don't know, why don't you ask him.” Stiles shot back, knowing Isaac was much too afraid to do so. Stiles could not bring himself to care, too involved in watching Allison and Scott talk to each other to notice. All Stiles really wanted was to see his sister happy.

“If he does it again I might consider it. It's like he can hear every word we're saying.”

“You would never get anywhere near him, he scares you to death.” Stiles ignored his friend's protest and continued, “Anyway, let him stare at this fine piece of ass all he wants. I don't care what he does. And come on, it's not like he can hear us all the way over there.” Derek could, but that wasn't something he was actually going to mention.

Derek approached them soon afterward, but did not seem like he had the slightest intention of speaking. Stiles did not notice, instead, he was horrified at what he saw going on at the other end of the room. He knew he couldn't make it over to the piano in time to drag Erica away from it, yet felt the need to try anyway, bumping into several people and knocking over a serving tray. He had to do whatever he could to save himself, as well as his family, the embarrassment of Erica playing the piano in front of everyone. Stiles didn't enjoy speaking ill of his sisters, but Erica was _horrible._

Stiles was too late. Erica had already begun. Everyone in the room endured what seemed like _hours_ of droning playing with off notes every few measures, and clapped politely when she was done. Everyone was shocked when she nearly started playing a _second_ piece, but Mr. Lahey managed to save everything by commanding the band to play over her and ushering everyone into the middle of the room to dance.

Derek, who had no motivation whatsoever to dance, or move for that matter, stood stiffly in the far corner of the room, scowling. He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't notice his neighbor, Mr. Lahey, until he was talking.

“What a great way to pass the time, isn't it Mr. Hale? There's nothing like dancing. I think it's one of the most important things for a young person to learn in today's society.”

Not really in the mood for conversation, Derek replied, “Certainly Mr. Lahey, and it has the advantage also of being in style amongst the less well-bred societies. Any savage can dance.”

Mr. Lahey either did not understand or just ignored his remark, instead simply smiling at him and stating, “Your brother is a great dancer.” He continued after a moment, “I presume you're a good dancer as well, Mr. Hale?”

“You saw me dance a few weeks ago, Mr. Lahey.”

“Oh, yes, that's right, now I remember. You weren't bad either,” pointed out Mr. Lahey. Bored with the conversation, Derek turned to notice Stiles walking towards them, and was mortified when Mr. Lahey yelled out, “Stiles! Why aren't you dancing? I'm trying to convince Mr. Hale here to dance, maybe you could show him how it's done?”

Stiles' face drained of color, and he started stammering, “I, um, I don't really want to- I mean I didn't come over here to-”

“Stiles, I was kidding. I'm going to go talk to your mother, but maybe you could keep young Mr. Hale company.” Before Stiles could refuse, Mr. Lahey bowed and swiftly walked away, leaving Stiles with Derek Hale. And, maybe he shouldn't have given Isaac so much grief because Derek was really tall and well-muscled and also absolutely terrifying.

“Would you care to dance?” asked Derek, and, oh, my God was Derek Hale smiling at him? It was more of an evil smirk in Stiles' opinion, but still, it floored him. So he panicked. Derek could hear his heart beating quickly as he stumbled over his words,“I, uh, I don't - I can't – what? Isaac was that you?” Stiles spotted Isaac and sped towards him as fast as he could, stumbling a bit over his feet, but still managing to keep his balance.

“I bet I can guess what has you more scowl-y and brooding than usual.” remarked his sister, Natalie, appearing beside him.

“I'm quite sure you can't.”

“It's the party, right? I know how much you detest all forms of socializing,” she guessed.

“Your conjecture is completely wrong, I assure you. My mind has been occupied with someone.”

Miss Hale fixed her eyes immediately on her brother's face, completely disbelieving that her Derek could find someone he tolerated.

“Who is he? Is it Jackson Stilinksi? Because, I can assure you I've heard terrible things about-”

“Not Jackson, his brother. Stiles.”

“The funny one?”

“Yes.”

“Can we expect a happy announcement by the end of the week?”

“Be quiet, Natalie.” barked Derek, denying himself a smile.


	7. Chapter 7

 The Stilinski household was roughly one mile away from the city; which was an extremely convenient distance for the young ladies, who usually went into town three or four times a week, usually to visit their aunt, or stop into the hat shop that was just across the street. Lydia and Erica were the ones that visited town most often, mostly because they easily got bored, and enjoyed the walk. Also, however boring the news and politics were, they could always count on something interesting from their aunt.

Their visits to their aunt were productive of the most exciting intelligence. That day, they learned more about the militia regiment that had been placed in the city; it was to remain the whole winter, and their town square was to be their headquarters.

Every day, the girls seemed to learn something new about the officers and their connections. Their addresses were not the least bit a secret either, and they began to know all of the officers personally. Their uncle had visited with all of them, and this gave his nieces tons of new information on all of them. No other subject appealed to them anymore; even Mr. Hale's fortune didn't hold their interest.

After listening to Allison and Erica chatter non-stop about the soldiers one morning, Sheriff Stilinski coolly observed:

“From what I'm hearing, I've officially decided that you two are the silliest girls in the country. I've suspected for a while, but now I'm convinced.”

Lydia was almost embarrassed, but Erica acted as if she didn't hear him and continued to babble on about a man called Captain Boyd, and how she hoped that she would see him in town that day.

“I'm surprised,” said Mrs. Stilinski, “that you are so quick to call your own children silly. They are all extremely clever.”

“Now, that is where we disagree, honey. If you really think Erica is _clever_ , we might have a slight problem.”

“You can't expect her to be as smart as her mother and father, obviously, but she's a girl. Let her ogle at all the men in uniform. I remember, when I was her age, I had a thing for a certain gentleman in uniform as well.”

Mr. Stilinski smiled at his wife, and was about to reply when a servant walked in with a letter for Allison. It came from Beacon Hills, and the courier waited for an answer. Mrs. Stilinski could barely contain her excitement as she made Allison read the letter aloud.

 

“My dear friend,

If you don't come to eat with us today, we'll all be at each others throats. We're sick of just talking to each other. Seriously. We need you as a mediator. Come over as soon as you can. My brothers and the rest of my family are dining with the officers.

Yours,

Natalie Hale”

 

“With the _officers_!” cried Erica. “Lucky them!” Everyone ignored Erica and turned to Allison. “May I have the carriage?” she asked.

“No, sweetheart, you had better go on horseback. It's supposed to rain later, which would mean you would have to spend the night over there.”

“That would be a good plan,” Stiles joked, “if you were sure they wouldn't want to send her home.” Allison stuck her tongue out at Stiles and protested, “I'd _really_ rather go in the coach.”

“But, Allison, honey, your dad really cannot afford to spare more horses. They're needed at the farm. You must go on horseback.”

Allison had no choice but to listen to her mother, and left. Her mother was right; it started pouring rain not long after Allison left. Her brothers and sisters were a little nervous for her, but their mother was delighted. The rain continued the whole evening, so there was no way Allison would be able to go back home that night.

“That was a great idea of mine!” said Mrs. Stilinski, as if the credit of making it rain belonged to her. It wasn't until the morning that she realized her plan had backfired. The family had just finished eating breakfast when they received the following note for Stiles:

 

“Stiles,

I woke up a bit under the weather this morning, which I can only assume was brought on by all the rain yesterday. Natalie refuses to let me leave until I get better. It's really not that bad, it's just a sore throat and a headache, not much else is wrong.

See you soon,

Allison”

 

“Well,” said Mr. Stilinski said after a moment, “if Allison should have a dangerous fit of illness, if she dies, it would be a comfort knowing that it was all in the pursuit of Mr. Hale, and under your orders.”

“I'm not afraid of her dying. People simply not die from little colds. She will be taken good care of. As long as she stays there, she'll be fine.”

Stiles, feeling really quite anxious, was determined to see her, even if he couldn't get the horses. He would just have to walk.

“How can you be so impractical, Stiles?” cried his mother. “You can't walk there, especially with all the mud! You won't be fit to be seen by anyone when you get there.”

“It won't matter to Allison, and she's all I care about.”

“Fine, just be back for dinner. It is a three mile walk, after all.”

“We'll go with you, Stiles.” volunteered Lydia and Erica, and the three siblings set off together.

“Maybe if we quickly, we can see Captain Boyd before he leaves.” Erica suggested, and Lydia and Stiles both rolled their eyes.

When they reached town, Lydia and Erica split to spy on all the soldiers, and Stiles continued walking on his own. It took him a little over an hour to get there; jumping over fences and splashing around in puddles on his way. And it showed. His shoes and socks were muddy, and his pants were soaked past his ankles.

He was invited into the foyer with some hesitation, because it was certain he would track mud all through the house. Nevertheless, he was welcomed by Scott and all the other members of the family, except for Allison, of course, who was in bed. Derek Hale said absolutely nothing as he passed, simply nodded at him in acknowledgment.

His questions about his sister were not answered favorably. Allison had gone to bed sick, and though she was awake, she was extremely feverish, and not strong enough to leave her room. Stiles demanded to be taken to see her immediately. Allison, who had downplayed her symptoms in her letter so as not to alarm her family, was thrilled when Stiles walked into the room. She wasn't up for much conversation, but Stiles did not leave her side.

After the Hale sisters finished their breakfast, they came in to see Allison as well, and Stiles would be lying if he said he wasn't starting to like them. Laura, Derek's favorite, was sweet and a bit feisty, and Natalie seemed funny and was extremely charming. He especially admired how much they cared for his sister, and the way they treated her. The doctor came, and after examining her, said that she had caught a violent cold. He advised her to go back to sleep, and promised her medicine. His advice was followed immediately; Allison was fast asleep by the time the doctor had gathered his things and left. Stiles didn't leave her room for a second, not even when everyone else had left.

When the clock struck three, Stiles felt that he had to go, and very unwillingly said so. Laura offered to send him on his way in their family's carriage, and Stiles almost accepted, but Allison had woken up. She was so upset that Stiles was leaving that the Hales had no choice but to invite Stiles to stay at Beacon Hills. Stiles most thankfully agreed, and a servant was dispatched to the Stilinski household to inform his family and to bring back a supply of clothes.


	8. Chapter 8

At 5 o'clock, Stiles was summoned to dinner, and was forced to leave Allison's side. Everyone questioned him about Allison's health, yet Stiles couldn't deliver good news. She wasn't getting any better, possibly even a bit worse. Both Laura and Natalie stated many times how concerned they were for her, how shocking it was that she was so ill, how much they detested being ill themselves, and then Natalie completely dropped it and said nothing else on the matter. Her indifference towards Allison when she wasn't actually in front of her made Stiles wonder if she was genuine at all, and was happy to restore his original dislike of her.

Scott was the only person within the pack that seemed overwhelmed with concern for Allison's well-being. His anxiety over her was visible, yet he was still friendly with everyone attending dinner, which was more than Stiles could say for anyone else. Natalie was completely engrossed by what her older brother Derek had to say, and Laura seemed quiet and distant. No one had anything else to say to Stiles and he was generally ignored for the rest of the meal.

When dinner was over, he returned directly to Allison's bedside, and Natalie began to discuss exactly how she felt about him when he left.

“His manners are preposterous, he has no style or grace; he has not one quality about him that would make him even remotely tolerable. The only thing I can commend him on is his ability to walk, Did you see him this morning? His pants were six inches deep in mud!”

“It was quite impressive,” said Scott, hiding his anger at what his sister had said, “that he managed to walk all this way to see his sister, even if it is just a cold. I thought he looked fine when he walked in. I didn't even notice the state of his pants.”

“I'm sure _you_ sawthe state of him, Derek. Is there anything you would like to add? I am quite sure that his appearance today affected your fondness for his _eyes_ ,” remarked Natalie, almost mockingly.

“Not at all,” said Derek simply. “His eyes seemed even brighter today.”

“Never mind that,” Natalie decided. “I really do like Allison Stilinski, she really is rather sweet, and I really do hope she finds a nice man some day. But with her lunatic mother and a _sheriff_ for a father, as well as her lack of connections, it would rather impossible to add her to the pack.”

 

\------------------------------------

After berating both Stiles and Allison, the group decided to sit with Allison to see if she was doing any better, which she was indeed not. Stiles wouldn't leave her side, until finally seeing that Allison had managed to sleep. At that point, Stiles figured it would be a good time to return downstairs to socialize or whatever other people do. He found everyone playing cards, and refused to join, instead picking up a book about ancient werewolf myths, which he found enthralling. Scott offered to get him more books, and apologized for the lack of interesting novels. From across the room, Laura remarked, “I am surprised father left you so few books, Scott. Derek seems to have inherited the majority of them,” and in turning to Stiles, she added, “He has such a wonderful library, Mr. Stilinski.”

“I should hope so,” Derek called out, “it was the work of many generations of Hales.”

Laura scoffed, “But you have added so much to it yourself! You cannot deny that you are constantly buying books.” This impressed Stiles, which surprised him, and so he immediately went back to thinking Derek was extremely pompous.

Stiles zoned out for a large conversation that did not involve him in the slightest, until something Scott said caught his attention, “It's so amazing how so many people have the patience to be as accomplished as they are.”

To that, Derek responded condescendingly, “Well then, Scott, you must have a broader definition of what makes someone truly “accomplished”. I suspect I could name on one hand the amount of people I find to be really accomplished.”

Stiles thought this was absolutely ridiculous, and realized he was speaking before he could stop himself. “Well then, Mr. Hale, you must believe that someone must meet a great deal of requirements to be truly accomplished.”

“Yes, I do believe there are quite a few requirements,” agreed Derek.

“Well of course!” cried Natalie. “Someone who is truly accomplished must have a thorough knowledge of music, dancing, and modern languages to deserve the title, as well as a certain something in their air and manner of walking, tone of voice, and their expressions.”

“They must have all of this,” added Derek, “and even with all of these things, they must add something more substantial, in the improvement of the mind by reading and writing.”

“I am no longer surprised,” began Stiles, “at your knowing only a handful of accomplished people. I rather wonder how you could possibly know _any_.”

“Are you so harsh on your own species that you doubt the possibility of all this?” questioned Derek, slightly scolding himself for the word “species”, although Stiles did not seem to notice.

“I have never seen such a person. I have never seen one person possess all of these things as you describe them.” There was a shock among the party at the harshness of Stiles' tone, and he quickly excused himself to check up on his sister.

He returned shortly thereafter to announce that his sister was worse and that there was no way he was leaving her. Derek offered to call for the doctor, while Scott just looked miserable, wondering what he could do to help her. Natalie repeated over and over how concerned she was, and Stiles didn't buy it for a second. He thanked Derek and then excused himself and swiftly withdrew from the room.


	9. Chapter 9

 Stiles spent most of the night in his sister's room, and in the morning was able to reply favorably to Scott Hale's inquiries about her health. In spite of this, Stiles still had a letter sent back to his home requesting that his mother and siblings come to visit Allison. The note was sent immediately, and its directions were quickly followed. Mrs. Stilinski, accompanied by her two youngest daughters, Lydia and Erica, reached Beacon Hills soon after breakfast.

If Allison had been seriously ill, Mrs. Stilinski would have felt horrible, but instead was elated to see that her daughter was in no immediate danger. She did not wish for Allison to recover quickly, since any drastic signs of improvement would have her sent away from Beacon Hills. She would not listen, therefore, to Allison's protests that she ought to go home.

After sitting awhile with Allison, the women were invited into the breakfast parlor by Miss Natalie Hale. Scott met them with hopes that they did not find Allison's health unsatisfactory, and that she had not been fairing worse than the family had expected.

“I have, indeed, found her much worse than I expected,” was Mrs. Stilinski's reply. “The doctor says she is far too ill to be moved. I'm afraid we will have to trespass on your kindness a bit longer.”

“I wouldn't even think of removing her!” exclaimed Scott, “My sisters would surely not allow her to leave so soon.”

“You can rest assured, Mrs. Stilinski, that Allison will be perfectly taken care of while she remains at Beacon Hills Park,” said Natalie, civil, yet seemingly indifferent.

Melissa Stilinski was overjoyed at the statement. “I am so glad Allison has such good friends who would allow her to stay as long as she has; she is extremely ill, and I am not sure what would have become of her without your hospitality. Allison has the advantage of being one of the sweetest girls in the country, and I often tell my other daughters and sons that they are nothing compared to her.” Mrs. Stilinski continued to ramble, “This is such a lovely home, Mr. Hale. I have never seen anything quite like it. I know that your lease is very short, but I hope you will not be in a hurry to leave it.”

Scott seemed to handle everything Mrs. Stilinski threw at him with ease, calmly responding, “Everything I do is done in a hurry, and if I did decide to leave Beacon Hills, it would be done in five minutes. However, as of now, I consider myself quite fixed here.” The capacity to pack up and move so quickly was a trick that the Hales had learned many generations before, and was useful in situations where the secrets about their true identities were found out.

“That is exactly what I would expect from you,” said Stiles.

“Oh, so you think you understand me, do you?” joked Scott, amused.

“Of course; I understand you perfectly.”

“I'm not sure if I should take this as a compliment, considering anyone who can be so easily seen through is a bit pitiful.”

“All I'm saying is that you are quite predictable compared to someone with deep, intricate character.”

Scott continued immediately, “I didn't know you were a studier of character, Stiles. It must be amusing.”

“Yes, but the _intricate_ characters are the ones that are most amusing.”

“The country,” said Derek, “can in general supply very few character such as this. There is little depth to the people in a country neighborhood.”

Stiles objected, “But the people themselves change so much, one can always be interested in studying them.”

“Exactly,” agreed Mrs. Stilinski, offended by the way he mentioned a country neighborhood. “There are as many interesting characters in the country as there are in town, I can assure you.

Everyone in the room was surprised, and Derek, after looking at her for a moment, turned away silently.

“I think,” started Scott, “that both the town and country have their advantages, and I am happy in both.”

“Now see, that is because you have the right disposition. Your brother,” motioning towards Derek, “seems to think the country is nothing at all.”

Stiles, shocking himself, jumped to Derek's defense, “Mother, you are mistaken. Mr. Hale simply meant that there is a larger variety of people in town than in the country, which is a fact even you must agree with.” Before his mother spoke again, Stiles managed to change the subject, asking if Isaac had visited since he had left.

“Yes, he came yesterday with his father. Such a lovely family. And Mr. Lahey is such an agreeable man. He is quite easy-going and polite. Now _that_ is my idea of good breeding. He always has something to say to everyone.”

“Did Isaac stay for dinner?”

“No, he went home to help his father prepare dinner. Just so you know, Mr. Hale,” she added, turning to Scott, “I do not believe in making my children do the work when we could hire perfectly good servants to perform the same tasks. Not that I don't believe the Lahey's aren't a good sort of family. I assure you they are, it is just a pity they are so plain.”

“Well, Isaac seems like a very pleasant young man,” said Scott.

“Oh, I do not dispute that, it's just that he, along with his sisters, is just so very _plain_. I don't like to boast of my own children, but one does not see anybody better looking than Allison. At least, that is what everyone says. Why, when she was fifteen, she had a suitor from town who was so much in love with her, we were sure that he would make a proposal. But he did not. Maybe she was too young. However, he did write her some splendid poetry.”

Stiles, not able to take any more of his mother's incessant babbling, took this opening to say, “And that was the last we heard of him. There have been many since him who have been overlooked in the same way. I wonder who first discovered the efficiency of poetry in driving away love.”

“I have always considered poetry to be the food of love,” said Derek.

“Perhaps if two people are already in love. But if there is simply just a feeling of admiration for a person, I am entirely convinced that writing poetry for them would make the love completely vanish.”

Derek only smiled bemusedly, and the pause made Stiles nervous that his mother would take the opportunity to start talking again. He wanted to speak, but could think of nothing to say, and after a short silence, Melissa Stilinski began to thank Scott for his kindness to Allison, and apologized for troubling him also with Stiles. She then stood up with Erica and Lydia and began to exit, but not before Lydia could force Scott Hale into promising to hold a ball.

Lydia was a small, pretty girl of sixteen, with beautiful skin and strawberry blonde hair; a favorite of her mother. She reminded Mr. Hale of his promise, adding that it would be properly shameful if he did not keep it. His response was perfectly delightful. “I assure you I am perfectly ready to keep that promise. As soon as your sister is feeling better, I will send out a date for the party.”

Satisfied, Mrs. Stilinski and her two daughters departed, and Stiles immediately returned to the side of his sister. Once he was gone, Natalie was free to make fun of and criticize the family, although Derek could not bring himself to join in, despite all of her joking remarks about _fine eyes_.


End file.
